Heat the oil in a medium sized saucepan. Throw in the leek and sauté on a medium heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring continuously.

Add in the potato.

Pour in cold water until the vegetables are just covered. Add in the stock.

Bring to the boil then cover and simmer for 20/25 minutes. The potato should be soft when a knife is inserted.

Blend until smooth then set aside to cool before refrigerating.

Serve chilled with chopped chives!

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https://www.thegingrkitchen.com/blogs/recipes/turkey-meatballs2019-01-02T13:52:00+00:002019-01-22T12:51:39+00:00Turkey Meatballsjen laufferMore]]>
Note this recipe works just aswel with chicken or beef.

Meatballs

1 Tbsp Olive oil

1 Onion, chopped

1 Clove garlic,grated

500g ground turkey/chicken

2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 Tsp Paprika

1 Tbsp Tomato purée

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan.

Add the onion and garlic. Fry until soft then set aside in a large mixing bowl to cool.

Once cool add the rest of the meatball ingredients. Combine well the set aside whilst you make the sauce.

Tomato Sauce

1 Tbsp Olive oil

1 Onion, chopped

2 Cloves garlic, grated

1 Tin plum tomatoes

1 Cup water

1 Tbsp tomato purée

1/2 Tsp Salt

1 Handful of whole basil

Add the olive oil, onion and garlic back into the large frying pan and cooking on medium until soft. Add in the rest of the sauce ingredients and stir well.

Take the meatball mix and roll into balls. Wet your hands after each ball to stop the mix sticking to you. Place the balls into the sauce as you go. Give them a few minutes to cook then keep gently turn them every 5 minutes or so until they are start to firm.

Add the handful of whole basil. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer thenCover with a layer of baking paper. Or cover and transfer to a preheated oven 180 degrees.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Line a baking tray with parchment. Take 1/4 of the cauliflower and break it up into small florets. Spread it out on the tray and roast until golden (20-30 mins). Set aside to cool.

Add the curry powder (less or more for a stronger curry taste) & stir until well combined.

Add the remaining cauliflower, stir for 1-2 minutes.

Pour in cold water until the cauliflower is just covered. Add in the stock.

Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. The cauliflower should be soft when a knife is inserted.

Blend until smooth.

Finely chop the chives and add them to the roasted cauliflower. Season with a pinch of salt & pepper.

To serve pour the hot soup into bowls and top with the roasted cauliflower & chives.

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https://www.thegingrkitchen.com/blogs/recipes/thai-noodle-soup2018-10-24T09:51:00+01:002018-10-24T10:07:15+01:00Thai Noodle Soupjen laufferMore]]>
This soup is so delicious and a real crowd pleaser! All will become clear below but I do tend to make the broth the day before needed and refrigerate over night to let the flavours intensify but it can also be made in a flash just before serving!

You can add all the ingredients to your OcadoApp shopping cart by cutting & pasting them from above. Click on the Ocado search bar and you will see a drop down “find a list of products” click this then paste the ingredients into the search bar, click search and wait for the magic to happen! You need 1 of everything and obviously omit anything you already have in your larder!

To make this a little more hearty we suggest serving it with a grilled piece of fish, chicken or meat on top! You can also whisk in an egg or two at boiling point just before serving. See notes.

Thai Noodle Soup - Serves 4

1 x Tbsp Sesame oil / any cooking oil

1 x Cooks ingredients Frozen Thai Mix

1 x Tbsp Curry Powder

1 x Tsp Ground Turmeric

1 x Tin Reduced Fat Coconut Milk

2 Pints Water

1 x Tbsp Bouillon Stock

1-2 Tbsp Liquid Aminos

1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

1 x Waitrose Super Bright Stir Fry Vegetables

1 x Waitrose Watercress

1/2 Packet Biona Organic Spelt Buckwheat Noodles

Sprinkle of Crispy onions

Add the first 4 ingredients into a large saucepan on a med to high heat. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Add in the coconut milk & water. Bring to the boil, stirring often, then turn down to a simmer.

Add in the stock, liquid aminos & vinegar. Stir well.

Add in the watercress, vegetables & noodles. If you are making it in advance, turn the broth off at this point (the veg & noodles will cook while the broth cools and just need to be warmed through before serving) so let it cool, then refrigerate until ready to serve.

If you are ready to serve let it simmer for 6-8 minutes. Then serve immediately.

If you have made it in advance, remove from fridge and bring to the boil, turn off and serve immediately.

Notes:

The best part about this soup is that it barely requires any cooking time...that’s because you don’t want to over cook the vegetables & noodles, they are both nicer with a little bite to them. So be careful to not let them boil away for too long!

Like I said previously you can add 2 x whisked eggs at step 5 or 6. Use a fork to swirl the egg in, you will see it turn opaque as it hits the hot soup.

I normally serve this soup with a piece of plain grilled cod on top. But play around with adding sliced grilled chicken or steak!

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https://www.thegingrkitchen.com/blogs/recipes/the-ultimate-bbq-sauce2018-09-05T20:53:00+01:002018-09-05T20:57:49+01:00The Ultimate Bbq Saucejen laufferMore]]>
Make this sauce. Let it cool then use it to marinate meats or pour it over chicken pieces along with a cup of water and roast until cooked through for the perfect oven bbq roast chicken! Alternatively eat it with roast sweet potato fries.....it’s finger lickin!

1 TBSP BOURBON (optional but it gives great flavour and the alcohol burns off during cooking (bummer we know))

¼ CUP APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

1 TBSP TOMATO PASTE

½ CUP MAPLE SYRUP

2 TBSP MUSTARD POWDER

1 TSP SOSO SMOKED SALT (the black one!)

¼ CUP SMOKED PAPRIKA

½ TEASPOON CAYENNE PEPPER (Optional) Add all the ingredients into a sauce pan on a medium heat and stir. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring often, for 3/4 mins.

1 Aubergine, sliced horizontally, quartered into wedges. The quartered again to make relatively thin wedges.

2 Courgettes, sliced on the diagnol.

Salt & pepper to taste

Sliced chilli & torn coriander to serve

Once all the veg are cut you can either grill them or bbq them. Do this in advance and set aside.

To make the Dashi (this can also be made ahead of time) put the water and mushrooms into a small saucepan, bring to the boil then simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add in the tamari, mirin, maple syrup and continue to simmer for 2-3 minutes. Turn it off and leave to cool.

Cook the noodles to packet instructions (I usually reduce the cooking time by 1-2 minutes as I prefer the noodles al dente. Once cooked run them under cold water. Once cooled, drain them well using kitchen paper to remove any excess water.

Place them on a shallow serving platter, pile the vegetables on top then pour over the Dashi. Finish with a final grind of salt & pepper and sprinkling of coriander and chilli.

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https://www.thegingrkitchen.com/blogs/recipes/matzah-cake-12018-03-23T17:27:00+00:002018-03-29T06:22:39+01:00Matzah Cakejen laufferMore]]>
This is the perfect pesach dessert and an amazing baking project to keep your kids entertained!

The only potential pitfall is the frosting As it needs to be stiff and kept cold to keep the layers up. I used this recipe.... click here for the vegan frosting.....or buy shop bought and save yourself the hassle.

To pipe the frosting you just need a medium zip lock bag. Fill the bag with frosting and refrigerate for 10 minutes or until it’s firmed up a little. When you are ready to pipe snip off one of the bottom corners of the bag, snip off a 1.5/ m2cm straight line....which should leave you with a nice round opening. You can also buy disposable piping bags.

Hold the bag still and gently squeeze hovering at the bottom then slowly lifting to form a teardrop. You can always have a few practices. You need 3 rows of three evenly spaced.

Pipe each layer and then refrigerate for 10 minutes before covering with your next matzah slice. Keeping the frosting cold and firm is essential!

In between the frosting blobs I added whole strawberries but make sure to slice them so they are the same height to keep layers straight.

Ideas: spread each matzah with lemon curd before piping....oh so delicious!

Really go for it with the decoration.....Just chuck it all on....the more the merrier!

Mix together all Ingredients apart from the onions and lamb. Combine until they are well mixed. Set aside.

In a large foil tray add the onions followed by the lamb.

Pour the tomato mixture over the lamb. Cover with grease proof paper then tightly cover with foil.

Put in the oven, turn the heat down to 170 degrees.

Cook for 4 hours.... resist the urge to peep, its important to keep the lamb well sealed.

Once out the oven, remove the lamb and shred using two forks (discard any fat and bones). Put the shredded meat into an oven proof serving dish.

Scrape all the liquid left in the tray into a blender and pulse until just smooth.

Pour the sauce back over the lamb. Either serving straight away or cover with foil, refrigerate and reheat before serving. Reheat covered for 25/30 minutes at 180 degrees (check it’s piping hot before serving).

Garnish with torn coriander!

Ok now listen up, what we are about to tell you is exactly the tipe of magic we LOVE.....try cooking your rice (any rice you want) in a tin of coconut milk (reduced fat or reg) topped up with as much water as you need, plus a stock cube or a tsp of bouillon. Once it’s cooked give it a good stir and a generous pinch of black pepper!

1. Preheat oven grill to medium. 2. Add all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix until well combined.3. On a medium heat, heat a large, non stick, oven proof frying pan with 1 Tbsp oil. 4. Pour in enough mixture to cover the base of the pan, about 1cm thick. Leave to cook for 4-5 minutes.5. Transfer the pan to the oven and grill until firm on top (4-5 mins).6. Use a flat spatula to loosen the base then slide out of the pan onto a plate. 7. Either use a cookie cutter to cut out round latkes or leave it whole for a giant latke!8. Delicious topped with anything from tomato and grated cheese to smoked salmon and avocado!

1. Melt the chocolate with the coconut oil in a heatproof bowl, over a saucepan of water, until liquid.

2. Take off the heat, add in the 3 Tbsp milk alternative & the icing sugar. Stir continuously until it starts to cool. The cooler it becomes the thicker it will get. Refrigerate, removing to stir every 5 minutes, until smooth and firm.

Note: To turn the thick frosting into a glaze, as it begins to thicken one by one add in another few tablespoons of milk alternative until it is fluid & pourable. Pour over cake for a beautiful even coverage. As it cools completely it will continue to slightly thicken and set (as per picture)

Preheat oven to 200 Degrees. Prepare the carrots, give them a scrub and trim the pointy ends, but leave on a small amount of the stalks. Put them in a shallow baking tray. Top them with the olive oil, Za'atar, Pine nuts, sea salt and water.

Roast them for 50-60 minutes or until they are butter soft (check using a knife)

In the meantime drain the chickpeas put them in a shallow baking tray. Top with the olive oil, Smoked Paprika and salt.

Add to the oven and roast for 45 minutes they should be dry and crispy. Set aside and leave them to cool uncovered.

Let everything cool to room temperature.

Just before serving pour the hummus into a flat shallow serving dish. Make a shallow well in the centre using the back of a tablespoon. Stack the carrots in the well, be sure to scrape the bottom of the tin and spoon over all the crispy Za'atar that gets stuck to the pan.

Sprinkle over as many of the crispy Chickpeas as you want followed by the leaves of the thyme, finely chopped curly parsley, pomegranate seeds and lemon zest. Voila....The end result should be something rather beautiful!

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https://www.thegingrkitchen.com/blogs/recipes/easy-cauliflower-pizza2017-06-30T14:25:00+01:002018-09-26T05:19:14+01:00Easy Cauliflower Pizzajen laufferMore]]>
This is hands down the easiest recipe for cauliflower pizza you will come across!

1 Head of Cauliflower

2 Eggs

1/2 Tsp Salt

1/2 Tsp Pepper

Optional Spices/Herbs:

1 Tsp Turmeric, Za'atar, Paprika, Mixed Herbs.

Remove the florets from the cauliflower and blitz in a processor until fine crumbs.

Tip The crumbs into a hot frying pan. Then add in the salt, pepper and any other herbs, spices. Stir continuously until golden (3-5 mins). Remove from heat, pour into a large mixing bowl. Then set aside to cool.

Once cool add in two eggs and whisk well, making sure the eggs and cauliflower are well combined.

Preheat oven grill to medium.

Heat a tsp of olive oil in a medium non stick frying pan. Add in the cauliflower egg mixture and spread thinly to cover the base of the pan. Cook for 3-5 minutes then transfer to the oven. Cook for a further 3-5 minutes until the base is firm to touch.

Leave it to cool for a few minutes then use a spatula to carefully release it from the pan and slide it onto a board.

Add your favourite pizza toppings and voila!

Note: To make this more substantial or particularly suitable for kids, add in a Tbsp of cooked, cooked quinoa/rice at step 3.

Pesto

1 handful of raw or roasted cashews

1 handful of basil

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 Tsp sea salt

1. Whizzed & drizzled. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Heat a medium oven proof frying pan with 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Add the onion and cook on a medium/high heat until it starts to soften and go golden (roughly 5 minutes)

Add in the garlic. Cook for 1 minute stirring constantly then add the turmeric, curry powder and tomato purée. Continue to stir for 3 to 4 minutes.

Add in the Spinach. Cook for a further 5 minutes stirring every so often to make sure everything is well combined. (It should look quite dry, if it is wet cook until it reduces.

Crack the eggs on top. Then sprinkle immediately with the Za'atar,sea salt and sliced chilli

Finish off under the grill for 4 minutes or until the whites have become opaque.

Yogurt Tahini

Mix 170g yogurt with the juice of half a lemon, 1 Tsp of sea salt and 1 generous Tbsp of Tahini. Whisk well until smooth. Once this basic sauce is made you can add in finely diced cucumber or chopped herbs such as parsley or coriander.

Add the citrus juices to a small mixing bowl and combine with the salt. Refrigerate until chilled.

Add the Chilli if using and leave for a few minutes then add the fish. Check the seasoning it can often need a touch more salt.

Divide between serving bowls and decorate with the red onion and coriander if desired.

Serve immediately.

Sesame Crackers

½ Cup Sesame seeds (white,black or a mixture)

½ Cup Ground Flaxseed

1 Large Egg, separated white only

½ Tsp Salt

½ Tsp Black Pepper

Preheat oven to 190 degrees

Mix all the above ingredients. Leave to sit for 5 minutes.

Take a silicone baking mat. ( it really can't be substituted for anything else) and use a teaspoon to make evenly spread (about 5cm apart) little mounds of the mixture.

Now you want to flatten the mounds into round discs. This can be a little tricky at first whilst you get used to the sticky nature of the mixture.

Use the back of the spoon or your fingers to flatten down. Or you can also lay a piece of clingfilm down and gently roll with a rolling pin until roughly 3mm. Peel the clingfilm away very carefully as it can stick. Most important thing to remember is they don't have to be neat and uniform, rustic is great!!

Cook in the oven for 8-10 minutes. The crackers should be dry and golden. Set aside to cool completely before enjoying.

Once you have mastered it you can add a pinch of your favourite spice such as turmeric, cumin & paprika for more flavour.

Slice the chicken breasts by cutting through the middle horizontally. Place a layer of cling film over the chicken and bash with a rolling pin to flatten.

Whisk the eggs and add in the garlic, pinch of salt & pepper. Pour over the chicken and refrigerate for 4-8 hours.

Remove the majority of the stalks (you can stir fry these later with garlic and Tamari) from the broc and cauli then blitz the heads in a processor until they are fine crumbs. You may need to do this in batches.

Pour the crumbs into a large shallow dish and season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

Remove the chicken from the egg and dip in the crumbs coating on both sides. Use your hands to pat the crumbs on. Its a very delicate affair!

Cover a baking tray in baking paper and spread the chicken out on it.

Cook in the middle of the oven for 30/40 minutes or until golden brown. I never turn the chicken halfway as i find the heat from the baking tray turns the underneath golden.

Add all the marinade ingredients into a clean bowl and stir well to combine. Add in the chicken and mix until well coated in the marinade. Refrigerate 2-8hrs.

Heat oil in a large frying pan on a medium/high heat. Add onions and cook, stiring continuously, for 1-2 minutes.

Turn the heat down to medium, add in the cumin, caraway seeds and garlic. Continue to stir and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Add in the chicken. Cook for 5 minutes only string every minute or so, as you want the chicken to go golden.

After 5 mins add in the curry powder & stock. Stir well to combine.

Then add in the thawed spinach. Keep heat on medium and cook for a further 15-20 minutes, stirring often.

This makes for a rich and quite dry curry as all the liquid reduces. I like it like this! Alternatively, you can reduce the heat and cover the pan for the final 15-20 minutes which makes the curry much wetter.

Sprinkle with toasted shaved almonds and serve with boiled basmati rice or chapatis.

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https://www.thegingrkitchen.com/blogs/recipes/salmon-burgers2017-04-27T11:42:00+01:002018-10-02T06:53:55+01:00Salmon Burgersjen laufferMore]]>
Great for lunch, dinner or as a snack. Its a brilliant fish option at a bbq, served in a bun. Or as an alternative to sandwiches at an afternoon tea! Or served as a canapé pre dinner!

Serves 2 as a main dish or 4 as a starter

200g Salmon, finely diced

1 Egg

1 Tbsp Chives, chopped

1 Tbsp Parsley, chopped

1 Tbsp Red pepper, diced

1 Tbsp Spring onion, chopped

1/2 Tsp Salt

1/2 Tsp Pepper

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees

Put half the salmon in a blender and pulse a few times until blended.

Add this to a bowl with the rest of the ingredients and combine well. I find this easiest using my hands.

Line a baking tray with grease proof paper. Form the mixture into patties (size is up to you, they could be large burgers or bitesize) and bake for 20 minutes

On the Hob heat a large oven proof frying pan with 1 Tbsp oil. Pour in enough mixture to cover the base, about 1cm thick. Leave to cook for 2-3 minutes then transfer to the oven and grill until firm on top (4-5 mins).

Use a flat spatula to make sure the base is loose then slide out the pan onto a plate.

Top with anything from tomato & cheese to smoked salmon & avocado.

Note: Add in grated courgette or use regular potatoes!

Tip: Involve your kids... let them mix the egg and potato mix with their clean hands! Lay out bowls of toppings for them to choose from. You can even blindfold them and let them guess the topping! Black olives and sweetcorn are a favourite in our house.